War Poems | Poemist

Popular War Poems

I Am Waiting

by Lawrence Ferlinghetti

I am waiting for my case to come up
and I am waiting
for a rebirth of wonder
and I am waiting
for someone to really discover America
and wail
and I am waiting
for the discovery
of a new symbolic western frontier
and I am waiting

......

Alexander's Feast; Or, The Power Of Music

by John Dryden

'Twas at the royal feast for Persia won
By Philip's warlike son—
Aloft in awful state
The godlike hero sate
On his imperial throne;
His valiant peers were placed around,
Their brows with roses and with myrtles bound
(So should desert in arms be crowned);
The lovely Thais by his side
Sate like a blooming eastern bride

......

Fight

by Rex Keener

People get argry
We all have emotions
Along with ideals
Humans are violent
Which leads to a unholy concoction

FIGHT

It can be over petty childish squabbles
Or over the fate of the world

......

The Death-Bed

by Siegfried Sassoon

He drowsed and was aware of silence heaped
Round him, unshaken as the steadfast walls;
Aqueous like floating rays of amber light,
Soaring and quivering in the wings of sleep.
Silence and safety; and his mortal shore
Lipped by the inward, moonless waves of death.

Someone was holding water to his mouth.
He swallowed, unresisting; moaned and dropped
Through crimson gloom to darkness; and forgot

......

On Living

by Nâzım Hikmet

I

Living is no laughing matter:
you must live with great seriousness
like a squirrel, for example--
I mean without looking for something beyond and above living,
I mean living must be your whole occupation.
Living is no laughing matter:
you must take it seriously,
so much so and to such a degree

......

Recent War Poems

Fight

by Rex Keener

People get argry
We all have emotions
Along with ideals
Humans are violent
Which leads to a unholy concoction

FIGHT

It can be over petty childish squabbles
Or over the fate of the world

......

Sonnet 04: Love's Vigor Amidst War's Strife And Envy's Sting.

by Christen Kuikoua

Amidst war's guilt, in solitude I tread,
Where envy's venom seeps into my core,
In shadows draped, I mourn the love that's dead,
And death's cold grip leaves me to weep once more.

From battles fought, I bear the scars of shame,
Isolation's chains encircle me tight,
Yet in your love, I find a flickering flame,
A beacon in the dark, dispelling night.

......

R.O.F.E.T.(Ro-Fet)

by Jerry Lawrence

Real.
On Time.
Fighter.
Enemy Du Jour.
Timeless.

We shan't forget you - Battle of Britain's longest day August 15

by Dr. Robert Ippaso

They were young starry-eyed, yet too soon so many had to die.
Brave to a fault with wanderlust of youth, no challenge spurned however seemingly uncouth.
In azure blue skies with only clouds as friends, they sought their prey through war's myopic lens.
No quarter given and none spared by their foes, incandescent bullets superseding schoolyard blows.
Skill and verve no match for destiny's roulette, to survive another day an all too losing bet.
Still they flew and fought with all their might, for love of country protecting it from blight.
Summoned by that bell with its strident chilling tones, pervading every pore of their worn and tired bones.
Verve and duty each relying on the other, no place to hide but raw courage as their cover.
For all those boys that fast turned into men, saving our isles from sweeping plain to gleaming glen,
We shall remember you forever in our lore, the few that gave so much and often so much more.

......

What did I do - in Putin’s own words

by Dr. Robert Ippaso

What did I do,
Quite the disaster, but if only they knew
The depth of the hole I find myself in,
Thank goodness ambition is no mortal sin.

I seriously thought this thing would be fast,
A simple invasion, a side show, a blast,
Over by dinner then pop the Champagne,
Ukraine by name only, Russia’s domain.

......